This is a big no-no...
semi_problomatic said:
... .454 casull (so you can train with .45 LC rounds) ...
I hate to break it to you, but that's the type of thing that people with very little (often none at all) experience with bears says. You absolutely must practice with what you'll carry. I'm not an expert, but I've been around bears of all shapes, sizes, and breeds for a few years now and here's my advice on the subject...
EVERYONE HERE WHO THINKS PISTOLS ARE GOOD FOR BEAR PROTECTION,
LISTEN UP
False statement #1: If I buy a .44/.454/.460/.500 Magnum and put a box of rounds through it, I'm set up and ready to protect myself against a bear.
There are those who are proficient enough with large-bore handguns to adequately protect themselves with one. The vast majority of people do not fall into this category. It takes
hundreds, even thousands of rounds (full-power, full-bore, not the weak crap on the discount shelf) to become proficient enough to hit a grapefruit-size target running at you at 30 mph, while bouncing and moving. It is very likely that more than one shot will be required to stop the bear, so you'll need to be able to hit it more than once... It is also very doubtful that a bullet fired from a handgun (yes, even the cannons) will penetrate deeply enough to disrupt the central nervous system. They just don't cut it for the majority of situations.
False statement #2: I won't be in grizzly country, so I don't need to worry so much about black bears.
If there were a part of the world with smaller, quicker criminals than the big, powerful (yet still pretty quick) criminals, would you immediately assume that you don't need your .45acp for CCW? Instead, you'll opt for the 9mm or .380, because the criminals are smaller? No, you'd carry the biggest gun you could handle and shoot competently. The same applies in bear country. The notion that different types of bears deserve different sizes of lead pills is illogical. They are all equally deadly. They are all capable of making a human sandwich. They are all warranted the same amount of fear, respect, and caution when you're in their backyard.
False statement #3: I don't need a rifle to protect myself against bears.
Yes, you do. Let's talk about what you're doing here. You're going to be in the backyard of a predator that outweighs the average adult male by 200%-800%.
These animals also demolish steel "bear-proof" dumpsters in a matter of seconds (I've seen it first-hand), so they're a heckuva lot stronger than you.
These animals are a lot faster than you. Given that the human speed record is somewhere around 28mph (and I also assume no one here is an olympic runner) and bears (brown and black) can top out between 30-35mph, you're at a huge speed disadvantage.
Bears are used to fighting, only the kicker is that they're used to fighting each other. Females are used to fighting males to protect their cubs, and males are used to fighting other males for territorial dominance. So they're used to fighting their equals, you are not their equal.
Not to mention, they can smell you and hear you better than the average dog.
Still think you want to put your safety in a handgun that you can't shoot with complete and utter confidence?
The simple truth is that long guns are better for self-defense than handguns. This is pretty much universal fact. Handguns are used for convience vs. long guns. They're simply easier to carry. However, long guns are easier to shoot under stress and they're far more powerful than even the most powerful of handguns. That is also pretty much universal fact. In a situation as decsribed above, humans need every advantage that firearms offer us, and handguns just don't make the cut.
Just to be clear, you still have to practice a LOT with your chosen long gun, but it will be easier to hit what you're aiming at and the bullet will be much more effective when it gets there in comparison with handguns. I practice with and carry a Marlin 1895STP in .45/70 Gov't. I only buy one type of ammo for it and that is my bear load, I don't practice with cheap junk, I want to fully know and instill the muscle memory for shooting the load I'll be counting on if Yogi gets angry at me.
Be safe and take care, I hope I've been able to help someone with this.